Limbo
by substitutingrealitywithmyown
Summary: Here's a little one shot: Harry is betrayed by someone close to him. He doesn't go to King's Cross but somewhere less familiar and meets three people who he has always longed to speak with. Harry is given a choice: does he go back and change everything or does he move on? Rated M just because...


**Disclaimer: _Harry Potter_ isn't mine, I'm just taking pieces of JK Rowling's brilliant universe and throwing them into a pan and trying to make a cake. **

**A/N: The bold type is taken from "_Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_" UK Version, chapter 15 '_The Goblin's Revenge_'. **

**"Yeah you're right!" said Harry; and he felt even more cheered at the thought that Dumbledore had had some reservations, however faint, about Snape's trustworthiness. "So, would he have hidden the sword well away from Hogsmeade, then? What d'you reckon, Ron? Ron?"**

** Harry looked around. For one bewildered moment he thought that Ron had left the tent, then realized that Ron was lying in the shadow of the lower bunk, looking stony.**

** "Oh, remembered me, have you?" he said.**

** "What?"**

** Ron snorted as he stared up at the underside of the upper bunk.**

** "You two carry on. Don't let me spoil your fun."**

** Perplexed, Harry looked to Hermione for help, but she shook her head, apparently as nonplussed as he was.**

** "What's the problem?" asked Harry.**

** "Problem? There's no problem," said Ron, still refusing to look at Harry. "Not according to you, anyway."**

** There were several **_**plunks**_** on the canvas over their heads. It had started to rain.**

** "Well, you've obviously got a problem," said Harry. "Spit it out, will you?"**

** Ron swung his long legs off the bed and sat up. He looked mean, unlike himself.**

** "All right, I'll spit it out. Don't expect me to skip up and down the tent because there's some other damn thing we've got to find. Just add it to the list of stuff you don't know."**

** "I don't know?" repeated Harry. "**_**I**_** don't know?"**

_**Plunk, plunk, plunk**_**: the rain was falling harder and heavier; it pattered on the leaf-strewn bank all around them and into the river chattering through thee dark. Dread doused Harry's jubilation: Ron was saying exactly what he had suspected and feared him to be thinking. **

** "It's not like I'm not having the time of my life here," said Ron. "You know, with my arm mangled and nothing to eat and freezing my backside off every night. I just hoped, you know, after we'd been running round a few weeks, we'd have achieved something."**

** "Ron," Hermione said, but in such a quiet voice that Ron could pretend not to have heard it over the loud tattoo the rain was now beating on the tent.**

** "I though you knew what you'd signed up for," said Harry.**

** "Yeah, I thought I did too."**

** "So what part of it isn't living up to your expectations?" asked Harry. Anger was coming to his defence now. "Did you think we'd be staying in five star hotels? Finding a Horcrux every other day? Did you think you'd be back to Mummy by Christmas?"**

** "We thought that you knew what you were doing!" shouted Ron, standing up; and his words pierced Harry like scalding knives. "We thought Dumbledore had told you what to do, we thought you had a real plan!"**

** "Ron!" said Hermione, this time clearly audible over the rain thundering on the tent roof, but again, he ignored her."**

** "Well, sorry to let you down," said Harry, his voice quite calm even though he felt hollow, inadequate. "I've been straight with you from the start, I told you everything Dumbledore told me. And in case you haven't noticed, we've found one Horcrux –" **

** "Yeah, and we're about as near getting rid of it as we are finding the rest of them – nowhere effing near, in other words!"**

** "Take off the locket Ron," Hermione said, her voice unusually high. "Please take it off. You wouldn't be talking like this if you hadn't been wearing it all day."**

** "Yeah, he would," said Harry, who did not want excuses made for Ron. "D'you think I haven't noticed the two of you whispering behind my back? D'you think I didn't guess what you were thinking this stuff?"**

** "Harry, we weren't –"**

** "Don't lie!" Ron hurled at her. "You said it too, you said you were disappointed, you said you'd thought he had a bit more to go on than –" **

** "I didn't say it like that – Harry, I didn't!" she cried. **

"Silence!" Ron roared. Hermione fell silent. Harry spun to face her and was shocked to see her face blank and her eyes vacant. A pit seemed to open in Harry's stomach as he turned back to Ron who was wearing a vicious sneer that seemed more in place on the face of Malfoy than Ron.

"What did you do to her Ron?" Harry asked quietly.

"What will be done to all those who are unworthy," sneered Ron, his voice cruel and dark. "I've put this filth in her rightful place. Now come on Potter, you're coming with me." Harry blinked as Ron's wand appeared in his hand.

"Ron don't do this," Harry pleaded. "This isn't you, you would never…" He fell silent as Ron raised his wand.

"Save it Potter," Ron spat. "Once I deliver you to my Master, I'll make sure this sweet little thing will never remember your name." With a flick of his wand, Ron sent a _**Petrificus Totalus**_ at Harry who couldn't move out of the way quickly enough. Yanking up his left sleeve, Ron revealed the ugly black skull and snake tattoo of Voldemort. Pressing his wand to the skull's mouth, Ron flinched. Harry's eyes widened as he heard several pops surrounding them.

"We're in here," Ron called out as he pulled down his sleeve. The tent flap flew open and several Death Eaters walked in including Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. Harry's eyes narrowed in hate as he saw the murderer of Sirius, as well as his archenemy's father.

"Well done Weasley," Lucius drawled. "You have done your ancestors proud this day, like a proper pureblood." Turning to face the still-frozen Harry, Lucius sneered. "It's not a dream Potter, your 'best-mate' has been quite the little spy for us for quite a while. But it doesn't matter what you know, someone has been expecting you Potter. Bring him!"

Ron flicked his wand and Harry rose into the air, still bound. "Come Granger," Ron barked.

"Yes," Hermione meekly said, her head downcast and eyes still vacant.

Once outside the tent, Harry saw that there were even more Death Eaters, roughly ten of the bastards, each of them without their masks, grinning or laughing at him. Anger surged within him.

"Oh no you don't Potter," Ron sneered. "_**Stupefy!**_" he said and a bolt of red slammed into Harry causing him to go limp. Lucius nodded before holding out a piece of fabric that had the mark of Voldemort on it, surrounding it were the crests of each of the Death Eater families. Ron commanded Hermione to take hold of the fabric while he grabbed a fistful of Harry's shirt before touching the Portkey. Lucius tapped the fabric and in an instant the tent was the only thing standing in the small clearing by a rain-swollen stream.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"I see our guest has awoken," a high, cold cruel voice hissed as Harry returned to the waking world. Blinking, Harry rapidly cleared his eyes and they adjusted to the dim lighting of the room.

"Riddle," Harry growled as he recognized the 'man' sitting just feet in front of him. A spasm of anger flickered across Voldemort's face before it disappeared into a blank mask.

"I have brought you Potter as promised," Ron said stepping forward and kneeling at Voldemort's chair.

"You have done well Weasley," Voldemort said. "Much more successful than any of my other Death Eaters." Voldemort caught Harry glaring at the red head beside him. "Oh Harry, haven't you realized yet that you are all alone? Did you truly think you had any hope in defeating me?"

"You haven't killed me yet Tom," Harry snarled, his anger and fear overwhelming his common sense. "And I seem to recall that each of the previous seven times that we've fought, you haven't beaten me yet. So what does that tell you, are you truly so powerful that you couldn't even beat a toddler?"

Another spasm of anger flashed across Voldemort's pale snake face. He rose from his chair and strode toward Harry, his bare feet making less than a whisper along the wooden floor.

"You have survived this long only due to your pathetic Mudblood mother's spell and luck," Voldemort hissed, anger dripping from his voice. "And no that luck has run out. Weasley, come here!" Ron rushed over to his master's side. "Give me your arm!"

Ron stuck out his left arm, Dark Mark bared and glowing dark. Riddle lifted his wand and jabbed its tip into the skull's head. Ron issued a low moan of pain as the mark flared. The soft whispers of robes flapping filled the room as the Death Eaters appeared out of the shadows.

"Friends!" Voldemort cried as the Death Eaters circled around he and Harry. "I have called you here to witness a most joyous occasion. We have a special guest before us tonight, Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. Though after tonight, he will only be a footnote in the glorious history of Lord Voldemort. After tonight, the only thing people will remember Harry Potter for is how he cowered at my feet, begging for mercy before I mercifully granted him his wish of seeing his blood traitor father and Mudblood mother again."

Harry struggled against his bonds. "Are you too much of a coward Tom that you won't face me evenly?" Harry snarled. "You always need your pathetic followers cowering behind you just to handle a teenager. Give me my wand and we'll see you will be begging for mercy soon enough."

"Enough of this dribble," Voldemort roared. "I have had enough of your pathetic attempts of accuse me of cowardice Potter, this ends now. Say hello to your Mudblood mother for me, _**Avada Kedavra!**_" Riddle roared. Harry turned toward Ron, who was grinning broadly as he brought Hermione out from behind him. Harry locked eyes with his best friend and saw her eyes suddenly brighten.

"NO!" Harry heard Hermione scream before the world went black.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Hello Harry," a soft voice said as Harry opened his eyes. Above him was a tan ceiling.

"Where am I?" Harry groaned as he sat up. The 'room' spun around him and Harry closed his eyes until his head stopped spinning. Opening his eyes once again, Harry felt his jaw drop. Sitting across from him were three very familiar people, though he had only remembered seeing two of them in photos.

"Hey there pup," Sirius Black chuckled, as he took in the sight of his godson gaping across the room at him.

"Sirius! What is going on? You're dead!" Harry cried.

"Correct Harry," the red haired woman next to Sirius said gently. Harry turned his head to focus on the couple sitting next to Sirius. His emerald eyes locked onto an identical pair peering out of the red haired woman's beautiful face.

"Mum, dad," Harry whispered, as if breaking the silence that had descended upon them would shatter this image.

"Hello Harry," Lily and James Potter said, broad grins and tears streaming down their faces. In an instant the reunited Potter family was embracing each other in a tight hug, each of the members had shaking shoulders as they sobbed together. Sirius conspicuously wiped his own wet eyes as he took in the sight.

"Mum, dad, you're dead too, but how can I be talking to you?" Harry asked, his voice thick. "Am I dead too?"

"Not exactly," James said with his own watery smile.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, looking at his father properly for the first time. He was stunned to see how closely they resembled each other, the same unruly black hair, the same round glasses perched on their noses and the same thin build.

"It's like this Harry," Lily said. Hearing his mother's voice for the first time he could remember that wasn't her screaming for mercy at the hands of Voldemort brought Harry to tears once more. "When Tom attacked us in Godric's Hollow all those years ago, when he curse rebounded, he left a piece of himself in you."

"You mean I was a Horcrux?" Harry exclaimed. The other three nodded. Suddenly a conversation long forgotten came back to Harry. "Dumbledore knew didn't he? He said pretty much the same thing to me at the end of my second year, he said that he had transferred some of his powers into me that night but what he had really done was made me into a Horcrux!"

"Yes _Dumbledore_ knew," Lily snarled. Harry was taken aback at the venom dripping from his mother's voice, oddly enough it sounded a bit like Hermione when she would go off on Umbridge. "He knew all along Harry, I know that you think that Albus is a great man, and he was but he was setting you up to die."

"What!" Harry shouted.

"It's true Harry," James said. "As soon as he realized that you were a Horcrux, he's been planning for you to die for 'the Greater Good', which means in his terms for you to sacrifice yourself to stop Riddle. He believed that the only way to destroy the Horcrux was for you to die."

"You were never supposed to go to Petunia," Lily said. "Our Wills said that you were supposed to go with Sirius, Alice and Frank Longbottom, Professor McGonagall or the Grangers if anything were to happen to us."

"The Grangers! Hermione's parents!" Harry shouted.

"That's right," Lily said. "They lived just down the street from us in Godric's Hollow and you and Hermione were close as babies. We are not sure why they moved away after that Halloween but we suspect that Dumbledore did something. He knew that you weren't supposed to go to the Dursleys, as he was a witness to our Wills. Dumbledore's major flaw is that he believes to much in the good in people, he always thinks he's right and will not hear a word against a decision of his."

"Dumbledore wanted me out of the picture as well," Sirius said. "He knew that Peter was the Secret Keeper as Lily and James wrote it in their Wills but he knew that in order for his plan to work, he had to get rid of anyone who would interfere with your upbringing."

Harry felt his magic rise within him as his anger grew at the elderly Headmaster. "He knew all along how I was being treated at the Dursleys, he said so when he told me about the prophecy. He said that he was condemning me to ten dark and difficult years but why?"

"The only person who can truly answer that is Albus," Lily said. "We're so sorry that you had to go through all this Harry…"

"Don't blame yourself mum, it wasn't your fault," Harry said as he wrapped his mother in another tight hug. She returned the embrace, and Harry once again found himself comparing his mother's hug to Hermione's. Both were nothing like Molly Weasley's hugs, which felt demanding, restrictive and dominating. Hermione's and Lily's were what hugs should have been, warm, comforting and equal. "I do have a question though, what did you mean about how I'm not exactly dead? Riddle hit me with another Killing Curse."

"Yes but with the Horcrux in you, you had two souls in which the curse could take," Lily said. "The Killing Curse can only destroy one soul and because Riddle's black soul was weaker, the curse took that one."

"So what happens now?" Harry asked.

"Well you have a choice Harry," James said.

"A choice?" Harry repeated.

"You can decide to return to the world of the living, or you can stay here and move on," Lily said.

"I could stay here with you?" Harry asked in a child's voice.

Lily, James and Sirius all nodded.

"Yes you could," James said. "However, you would be condemning the world to Riddle's rule."

"So?" Harry snapped stunning his parents and Sirius. "What exactly has the wizarding world ever done for me? My so-called best mate was a traitor and a Death Eater who turned me over to Voldemort! The man I looked up to as a grandfather was setting me up to die like a pig for slaughter…"

"What about Hermione?" Sirius asked. That brought Harry up short.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Well, if you don't go back you will also be letting _Weasley_ have his way with her, and all your other friends will be suffering under Riddle's reign of terror," Sirius said.

"What other friends? Friends are supposed to write, friends are supposed to believe in me, to trust me! Why should I go back when everything I ever wanted is right here?" Harry shouted. Lily, James and Sirius' faces fell as Harry brought this up. "If I go back won't I have to deal with all that pain, suffering and hate again? The wizarding world is made up of sheep that have no backbones; they only follow the loudest bleat whether it be Dumbledore, Voldemort or the Ministry."

"We know Harry," Lily said. "But you can change all that. You'll return to a time of your choosing and be able to change things so that you don't have to experience all that pain again. Would you really just sit back and let Riddle win, condemn all the innocents to death and slavery, let Hermione remain under the control of that red haired monster when you have a chance to change all of it?"

"But why me?" Harry asked. "Why is it always me who has to do these things? Haven't I given up enough; my parents, my godfather, and my childhood? Why should I have to go back through that again?"

"Son, no one is making you go back," James said. "It is your choice and no matter what you choose we will be proud of you. Yes you have given and lost much but Harry, do you really think that you could live with yourself if you don't go back when you have to power to stop all the suffering and pain that stems from Riddle's plans?"

Harry looked down at his lap, his mind churning. After several terse silent minutes, Harry looked up at his family and said, "I decide…"

**A/N 2: Well there you go, a little one-shot that I threw together in hopes of jump starting my muse. Hope you all enjoy it, obviously the ending is up to the reader. I always wondered why Harry met with Dumbledore at 'King's Cross', I know he spoke with his folks and Sirius with the Stone but it would have been better for him to meet them in 'limbo'. Then again, if he had we wouldn't have known that Dumbledore was such a 'Dark Lord' in how he treated Harry. Enjoy**

**S.R.W.M.O**


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